Armed men suspected to be Fulani herders have destroyed yam seedlings and cassava farms worth millions of Naira in Chembe village, Gaambetiev, Logo Local Government area of Benue State.
It was gathered that the village had recorded a series of attacks by herders in the past ten years, forcing residents out of the settlement.
The majority of the villagers now live in Internally Displaced Persons camps in Anyiin.
Despite the hurdles of living in an IDP camp, the villagers still return to the farm between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm daily.
The owner of the destroyed yam seedlings and cassava farm, Eric Chembe, told The Nation that the farm was more than half a hectare.
He said, “I got a call from one of my elder brother’s wives that my yam seedlings and cassava farm of more than half a hectare was completely consumed by suspected herdsmen who grazed on my farms with their cattle late into the night.
“Since I got the sad news, I am restless because cassava is my primary investment, which I spent a lot of money cultivating.
“As a family man who depends largely on my farm produce for survival and because of the harsh economy, I need no soothsayers to tell me that troubles have instantly doubled.”
Chembe estimated the value of the destroyed yam seedlings and cassava to be over N50 million.
He called on security agencies to protect farmers if the Federal Government is serious about food sufficiency.
